The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Wu Hoo’.
The new plant was identified as a unique cultivar by the Inventor in Atlanta, USA as an offshoot of the parent plant Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. The offshoot exhibited different physical characteristics from the parent plant (Hosta ‘Empress Wu’) approximately 12 months after said parent plant was initially planted and grown in a pot in the Atlanta, Ga. garden of Mark Malaguerra and Scott Smith. Upon identification of the variation from the main plant, the new plant that exhibited unique characteristics was separated from the main plant and grown separately to verify that it would continue to exhibit the unique characteristics over time.
The parent plant, ‘Empress Wu’ is a U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,774 and has been well documented as to its primary characteristics. The hybrid of ‘Empress Wu’ that is the subject of this patent application exhibits significantly different characteristics from the parent so as to warrant recognition as an entirely separate hybrid. This hybrid has been recognized and registered by the American Hosta Society as Hosta ‘Wu Hoo’.
As of the initial filing, there was one (1) other registered hybrid of ‘Empress Wu’, Hosta ‘Wu La La’ (PPAF). ‘Wu Hoo’ differs from ‘Wu La La’ in that the leaves of ‘Wu Hoo’ are more rounded than ‘Wu La La’ which has heart shaped leaves. The margin variegation of ‘Wu Hoo’ are significantly wider than that which is exhibited by ‘Wu La La’. In addition, the leaves of ‘Wu La La’ exhibit a wavy texture in the centermost portions of the leaves in a similar manner to ‘Empress Wu’ whereas ‘Wu Hoo’ does not exhibit the wavy texture in the leaf centers.
The new plant differs from its parent primarily in that the margin areas of the leaves produce anthocyanins that produce a blue-green variegation where the parent plant was solid green on the upper surface of the leaf. The new plant also exhibits leaves which are more rounded with slight convex curvature which is significantly different from the parent plant which displays a slight concave, to almost flat curvature to the leaves and a moderate corrugation or waviness to the leaf structure.
The flower scapes and flowers of both the parent plant and the hybrid ‘Wu Hoo’ appear identical both in terms of size and color but also in terms of time of year both plants flower in the Atlanta, Ga. garden in which they are planted.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by division in 2014 in Atlanta, Ga. USA and by meristem tissue culture in 2015 in Olathe, Kans. USA has shown the unique and distinct characteristics of this new plant are stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations. These asexually propagated plants are currently being grown in a greenhouse by Green Hill Farm. The first asexually reproduced plants which were propagated by meristem tissue culture in 2015 are currently growing in the Atlanta, Ga. and Waynesville, N.C. gardens of Mark Malaguerra and Scott Smith and exhibit the same physical characteristics as the originally identified hybrid.